Feature Topic: Cow #11
Sex: Female
Age: 8 years old
History: Cow #11 was relocated to Cataloochee valley in the winter of 2001 from Land Between the Lakes, Kentucky.

Cow #11 has given birth to 4 calves since she was moved to Cataloochee in 2001, and has been a very protective cow when it comes to defending her calf. While most cows will leave their newborns hiding in the tall grass of the fields and travel into the woods during the heat of the day, #11 remains right beside her calf throughout even the hottest hours of the summer afternoons. 

In 2005 she was seen charging and fighting a bear that was attempting to kill her calf. The bear was eventually forced to retreat, but the calf died shortly thereafter from injuries sustained. 

In 2006, #11 was the last of the cows in Cataloochee to calve. On the 4th of July she gave birth to a young female calf weighing about 30 lbs. that now travels around the valley with the rest of the herd and can be seen most mornings and evenings.

Since last update, a few elk have returned to Cataloochee Valley. On August 4th, Cow #6 was seen in the fields for the first time since calving began. A young calf was seen following her back into the woods and is believed to be hers. This makes the total known calf count for 2006 to be 11, 9 of which are believed to still be alive. Several calves from this year are seen regularly traveling with the herd and appear to be growing quite rapidly.

The bulls of the Valley are in the early stage of the rut. They have shed their velvet and have begun sparring with each other. On August 23, Bull #3 returned to Cataloochee from Oconaluftee near Cherokee. #3 was the dominant herd bull in 2003 and 2004, but was defeated in 2005 by Bull #16. Since then, #3 has been bugling, wallowing, and “herding” the cows around the fields. On August 25, Bull #16, the dominant bull in 2005, also returned to the Valley from an area just outside the park boundary between Cataloochee and the Big Creek area. These two bulls have been seen and heard bugling, but have not been seen sparring. 

With the weather beginning to cool and the bulls now coming into the rut, it is a great time to visit Cataloochee Valley to view the elk and hear them bugle. It is also especially important to remember to keep your distance and to stay in or near your vehicle. Also, encourage others not to approach elk – they can be dangerous. There are a lot of changes currently taking place within the herd and animal behavior can be even more unpredictable than usual. Thank you and enjoy your visit!

Report by Joe Yarkovich
Elk Research Coordinator